Epoxy or Rubber: Finding the Right Floor Covering for Your Garage

While it is easy to neglect your garage floor, you may want to start paying attention. Concrete, if ignored, can wear away, stain and fail quickly. Floor coverings can help to reduce the damage caused by oil spills or heavy equipment, protecting your slab and ensuring its longevity and durability, but which covering is best for you and why?

Paint

Garage floor paints are easy to apply and likely the most cost-effective option for giving your floor a new life. While the option of latex paint is affordable, it does little actually to protect the concrete. Paint is a good option if you are only looking for a limited cosmetic application, like covering stains.

Epoxy

Epoxy is one of the most durable concrete floor covering products. Essentially, epoxy creates a hard shell over the slab, protecting it from spills, falls and other garage mishaps. This type of coating likely requires professional installation and is more expensive than paint, but the resulting hard coat also lasts longer and is more protective overall.

Rubber Mats

If you are not looking for a full floor covering system, then rubber mats may be the best option for you. You can buy these mats in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are typically thicker than a rug and are meant to be placed in areas prone to spills and drops. While not as expansive as epoxy or paint, rubber mats can be an affordable solution, especially if you have a restricted amount of space you use for garage projects.

Tile

Garage floor tiles are likely the most expensive floor covering option, but they do offer superior strength and durability to your concrete floor. You can purchase interlocking tiles that may reduce the overall cost but expect tiles to be costlier than any option on this list.

No matter what you choose, a garage floor covering will help to prolong the life of your current concrete slab. Paint, epoxy, mats, and tiles all have both positives and negatives, but any will work depending on the specifics of your situation.